Local sources in Faryab province say that the Taliban have detained dozens of Uzbek residents of the Dawlatabad district after holding a protest rally.
The protests took place on Monday in response to the arrest of several Uzbek youths by the Taliban. They were arrested after a clash over the harassment of Uzbek girls by Pashtun youths on the second day of Eid al-Adha.
According to sources, the protesters gathered in front of the Taliban police headquarters in Dawlatabad, demanding the release of the detainees. Some protesters chanted “Long live Dostum” and entered the headquarters.
After the protest, the Taliban arrested a number of protesters and launched a house-to-house search operation in the area. Local sources said that the Taliban in plain clothes are searching for people participating in the protest at the district level.
Witnesses say that the atmosphere in the center of Dawlatabad is secure and many people have taken refuge in their homes for fear of arrest.
There is no exact figure on the number of detainees. Some local sources have announced the number of detainees as close to 100, while sources close to the Taliban have announced the number as 35.
